Semiconductors have played an increasing role in vehicle innovation. Sensors and actuators, both of which are used in automotive systems, rose 15.5 percent to $8 billion in 2011, compared to 0.4-percent growth for the entire chip industry. Likewise, auto sales rose 8 percent in first quarter 2012 compared to the same three months a year earlier.

Demand has been concentrated on such features as powertrain and hybrid electric vehicle system controls, LED lighting, and airbag systems. Companies that serve the automotive market have grown in kind. For instance, Infineon Technologies is moving forward with plans to open a new 46,000-square-foot engineering and testing facility in Livonia, Michigan. The auto business accounts for 43 percent of the company’s revenue.

“(Semiconductors) are the products that we make that people don’t see, but they’re there,” Infineon vp Shawn Slusser told the Detroit Free Press. “They make the car better. They make the car safer. They make the car more fuel efficient. They make the car more comfortable.”

Lee Simmons is a business writer in Austin. He covers the technology and media industries for Hoover's and offers random musings on the state of entertainment (among other pressing issues) for Bizmology. Follow him at Twitter.

US Economy in February '15 | A Multi-Dimensional View by D&B

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Executives on the Move

Calumet Rolls Out the Barrel for CEO Search

March 2015

Oil refiner Calumet Specialty Products announced last Thursday that co-founder William Grube will be promoted to executive vice chairman, leaving an opening in the CEO position. Bill Hatch, a retired CITGO executive, has been hired as the interim CEO while the company employs executive recruiter Spencer Stuart to assist in the ongoing search for a permanent CEO. Both Grube and Hatch begin their new positions on April 1.

Company Spotlight: Update of the Week

In an update last week, Dun & Bradstreet editor Adam Anderson detailed how Southwest Airlines‘ simple approach (low cost, no frills) — combined with a steep decline in fuel and oil prices — led to milestone revenue and net income in 2014. It reported revenue of $18.6 billion last year, with net income of $1.1 billion. A key to future growth for the airline is international service; in 2014 the company launched service to Jamaica, Aruba, and the Bahamas, with plans this year for service to Costa Rica and Belize, among other destinations. Follow Adam on Twitter.

First Research Trend of the Week

More millennials are choosing US trade schools over traditional four-year colleges after high school, which may ease the growing demand for skilled trade workers. As college costs soar, many students want to avoid hefty student loans debt. Trade school graduates who become electricians and plumbers can earn salaries that are as high or higher than the average college graduate’s paycheck, according to NPR. For more industry trends, please see our Education & Training Services profile.